Demetri McCamey scored a game-high 18 points and Illinois withstood a pair of potential game-winning 3-pointers in the final three seconds as the Fighting Illini held on for a key 54-52 Big Ten Conference victory over Michigan on Wednesday night in Champaign, Ill.

Illinois (17-9, 7-6 Big Ten) retained its hold on fourth place in the conference while beating Michigan (16-11, 6-8 Big Ten) for the 13th straight time at Assembly Hall. The Wolverines have not won at Illinois since 1995.

Illinois led throughout the game and by as many as 13 in the first half before Michigan, which trailed 32-22 at halftime, made several runs in the second half to get within one.

After Bill Cole sank one of two free throws for Illinois with 14.6 seconds remaining, the Wolverines came down and had both Evan Smotrycz and Stu Douglass hit the rim from 3-point range in the final seconds, with Douglass' bouncing off at the buzzer.

Mike Tisdale came off the bench for only the second time in the last three seasons for Illinois and contributed 12 points and eight rebounds. McCamey scored 13 of his points in the opening half.

Michigan, which had a three-game winning streak snapped, got 12 points from Jordan Morgan and 11 points, seven assists and six rebounds from Darius Morris.